Valve-spring lifter



H. W. KULP AND M. C. DELLINGER.

VALVE S PRING LIFTER. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 21. 1919.

1,359,814, Pathted Nov. 23, 1920.

Inventors comreogsiA-rrs HARRY WOLF Km- AND man'rm corn 'nnnnmemx ortmlmemmmvm VALVE-SPRING maria,

Specification of Letters Patent.

ncanon filed October 21, 1919. Serial No. 882,161.

To allwhom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, HARRY WOLF KULP and MARTIN Corn DELLINGER citizensof the United States, residing at t the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inValve-Spring Lifters, of which the following is aspecification. 4

The present invention relates to valve spring lifters. Devices-of thisgeneral class are designed more especially for. use in're moving thevalves from internal combus-.

tion engines. To remove the valves it is necessary to compress and-11ftthe valve spring so that the pin or other spring hold- 'ing means may beremoved from the stem.

Spring lifters heretofore in use have been, for the most part,plier-like tools comprlsing two pivotallylconnected jaw' carrying armsor levers, the lower jaw being madeto bear on a fixed base, while theupper jaw will bear against-the lower end of the valve spring; or thejaws may bear respectively on the upper and lower ends ofthe spring.

In the first 'case the tool is operated to open or separate the jaws,causing compression of the spring by upwardmovement of the jaw incontact with the lower end. of the spring; and in the second case thespring will be compressed between the aws as they are closed.

Butthe great objection to. tools 'of this class-is the lack ofparallelism between the jaws during their operation. They swing from thepointof pivotal connection between the levers or arms. Consequently,during operation they are not parallel, but

at an angle to 'each other.. Consequently,

the jaws will notact with eveness on the spring in a line parallel tothe valve stem,

but will compress it more on one side than I on the other.-

The chief object of the present invention is to insure the absoluteparallelism of-the jaws of the tool in every position Another object isto provide a simple, efficlent, compact tool which may be produced at amoderate cost. Further objects will appear from the following detailed.description and claims. i

Fig. 1

ancaster, in.

. Also,

at 8,-the parts bein In order to provide the desired Sim licityand atthe same time insure the esired parallelism in the travel of the jaws, asta-' Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

tionary jaw-carryingarm cooperating witha 6 0 link being pivotallyconnected to each jaw-- carrying member,- while the opposite enduof eachhas-a sllding pivotal connection with .the other jawcarrying member, anda movable handle being formed in extension of one of said links,

Preferably the stationary arm 1 is subin its opposite walls, about midwaof its lengthf for a purpose to belater dlsclosed.

stationary arm 1 is a short movable beam 6, also of substantiallyU-shaped cross section and carry n a jaw'5 cooperating with jaw 2. It 1ssimilarly slotted at 7 and cut away arranged that when-t e jaws aresuperposed one upon the other and the beam upon the arm the slots 7 willbe directly above the slots 3. A link 9 has'a fixed pivotal connectionat one end with the forward part of arm 1 by means of a fixed pivot pin10 passed throu h the walls of arm 1 and the lower end 0 the linktherebetween. The other or upper end of the same link has a free slidingpivotal connection with the rear so proportioned and stantlallyU'-shaped.1n cross section, carrymg the aw 2 at one end and beingprovided with parallel elongated openingsor slots 3 ora purpose to belater disclosed, the bottom of the U of arm 1 is cut away, vas.

end of beam 6 by means of a pivot pin 11 passed through that end andsliding freely in slots 7, one end of said pin extending slightlybeyond. one outer wall of the beam for a purpose to be later disclosed.A sec- 0nd and-similar link 12 has its upper end I pivotally connected'to'the forward end of beam 6 by a fixed pivot pin'13 passed through thewalls of beam 6 an'dthe upper in'g pivotal connection with the arm 1 bymeans of a pivot. pin 14 passed through the lower end of the link andsliding freely in end'of the link. The lower end has a slidopen ortoward a substantiall horizontal position the jaws 2 and wil be drawntoward each other, while forcing them in the opposite directlon ortoward a substantially vertical position will separate or open jaws 2and 5. To efiect these movements an elbow arm 16 is provided. It isformed in continuation of the rear lowerend of link 12. Thus, while thelower end of. the arm 16 lies between the wall of the arm 1, the upperrear portion providing a hand grip is considerably spaced from and liesdirectly above the hand grip or rear portion of arm 1. Thus it will 'beseen that the jaws are operated by a lazy tong construction, which makesit impossible for them to assume any other than an exactly true parallelrelation one to the other and positively insures this relationthroughout the travel of jaw 5. The means for actuating the lazy tong,of course, is the elbow arm 16. By forcing it toward arm 1 the lazy tongwill be contracted or closed, the upper and lower ends of the linksrespectively being made to approach each other, but being kept at thesame distances from their centers by the fixed pivot 15, thus compellingabsolute parallelism between beam 6 and arm 1 and their j aws throughoutthe travel of beam 6.

Of course, by moving arm 16 in the oppo-- site direction, or away fromarm 1, the opposite action of the lazy tong will result, moving jaws 2and 5 towaru each other.

The cut out portions 4 and 8 facilitate access to the sliding pivotconnections, permit perfectly free and uninterrupted travel of thesliding link ends, an dto a certain degree lighten the device.

It may be desired to temporarily lock the jaws in their extreme openposition. For this purpose a locking plate 17 is provided having a slotor opening 18 co-extenslve with slot 7. At the forward end a notch 19extends upwardly and rearwardly from slot 18, providing a downwardly andforwardly directed curved shoulder 20.; The forward end of the plate ispivoted on the pivot pin 13 while the pivot pin 11 travels freely inslot 18, the plate being so proportioned and positioned that slot 18 issuperposed on slot 7. Now, as pivot pin 11 reaches the ex-, tremeforward point of its travel in slots 7 and 18, it will come directly inline with the entrance to notch 19. Plate 17 immediately drops bygravity, so that pivot pin 11 becomes seated in notch 19, with theshoulder 20 extending below and behind the pivot pin and preventing anyreturn movement thereof in slot 18. Various changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangementsof different parts without in any sensedeparting from the scope of the invention, and it is meant to includeall such within the following claims.

, Having thus described our invention,

dle, a pair ofcrossed links, fixed pivotalconnections between one end ofeach link and one of said aw-carrying members, fixed pivotal connectionsbetween said links at their point of intersection, sliding pivotalconnections between the other end of each link and each jaw-carryingmember, and a handle connected to and extending at an angle from one ofsaid links.

2. A valve spring lifting tool comprising a jaw-carryin member having ahandle in alinement anc l in continuation thereof, a short jaw-carryingbeam cooperating therewith, a lazy-tong, fixed pivotal connectionbetween one end of each member of said lazy-ton and one of the jaw-carrying members, sli ing pivotal connection between the opposite endof each member of said lazytong and one of the j aw-carrying members,and an elbow. arm formed in continuation "of one of said lazy-tongmembers.

3. A valve spring lifting tool comprising a jaw-carrying member having ahandle in alinement and in continuation thereof, a short jaw-carryingbeam cooperating therewith, a lazy-tong, fixed pivotal connectionbetween one end of each member of said lazy-tong and one of thejaw-carrying members, sliding pivotal connection between the oppositeend of each member of said lazytong and one of the jaw-carrying members,a

an elbow arm formed in continuation of one of said lazy-tong members,and a movably mounted locking plate adapted to automati cally engage oneof said sliding pivotal connections to secure'the aws in open position.4. A valvespring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carryingmembers, a pair of connected links, connections between each of saidlinks and both of said jaw-carrying members, means for moving saidmovable jaw-carrying member relatively to said stationary jaw-carryingmember, and gravity actuated means for securing said jaw-carryingmembers in an open position. v

5. A valve spring lifting tool comprising a jaw-carrying member having ahandle in alinement and in continuation therewith, a short jaw-carryingbeam cooperating therewith, a lazy-tong, fixed pivotal connectionbetween one end of each member of said lazy-ton and one of thejaw-carrying members, sli ing pivotal connection between the oppositeend of each member of said lazytong and one of the jaw-carrying members,

plate pivotally mounted on said jaw-carrying beam and provided with aslot for the free travel. of one of said sliding pivotal connections,said slot terminating in a notch forming a shoulder adapted to dropbehind and engage said pivotal connection to automatically lock saidjaws in open position.

6. A valve spring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carryingmembers, a pair of connecting links, connections between each of saidlinks and both of said jawcarrying members, means for moving saidmovable jaw-carrying member relatively to said stationary jaw-carryingmember, and a locking plate adapted to engage one of the connections ofsaid links to lock said jaw-' carrying members in an open position.

7. A valve spring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carryingmembers, a pair of connected links, fixed pivotal connections betweenone end of each of said links and one of said members, sliding pivotalconnections between the other end of each of said links and the other ofsaid members, and a pivotally mounted plate adapted to engage one ofsaid pivotal connections to secure said jaw-carrying members in an openposition.

8. valve spring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carryingmembers, means for flexibly connecting said jaw-carrying members, anelbow lever arm formed in con-' tinuation of one element of saidconnecting means, and sliding pivotal connections between said elbowlever arm and one of said jaw carrying members.

9. A valve spring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carryingmembers, means for flexibly connecting said jaw carrying members, anelbow lever arm formed in continuation of one element of said connectingmeans, sliding pivotal connections between said elbow lever arm and oneof said jaw carrying members, and means for automatically securing saidjaw carrying members in open posit on.

10. A valve spring lifting tool comprising jaw-carrying members, meansfor flexibly connecting said jaw -carrying members, means formaintaining parallel relatlon between said jaw-carrying members at alltimes, and an operating lever arm carried by one element of saidconnecting means.

11. A valve spring lifting tool comprising a jaw -carrying member, arelatively short jaw-carrying beam cooperating therewith and movablerelatively thereto, a link having fixed pivotal connection at one end tosaid stationary member and sliding pivotal connection at its oppositeend to said beam, a second link intersecting the first and having fixedpivotal connection thereto at such point of intersection and also havingfixed pivotal connection at one end to one end of said beam and slidingpivotal connection at its opposite end to said stationary member, and ano erating lever handle formed in continuation of said second link. 12. Avalve spring lifting tool comprising cooperating jaw-carrying members,means for operating said members, means for flexibly connecting saidjaw-carrying members,

and a locking device carried by one of said members and adapted toengage an element of said connecting means to automatically lock saidmembers in open position. I

13. A valve spring lifting tool comprising jaw carrying members, meansfor flexibly connecting said jaw carrying members, means for maintainingparallel relation between said jaw carrying members at all times, anoperating lever arm carried by one element of said connecting means, andmeans for automatically securing said jaw carrying members in openposition.

14. A valve spring lifting tool comprislng a jaw and a handle integraltherewith, in combination with a movable jaw, means for connecting saidlatter jaw and sald handle in order to maintain said jaws 1n parallelrelation in all positions, and a second handle connected to said meansto actuatethe same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of Witnesses t E. Lone,

